12月22日,星期日。 I get to 的airport at about 8:30am. Check-in goes smoothly. 不久我 ’在飞机上唯一的问题是,我被告知从上海到底特律的直飞航班实际上是在东京中途停留的航班。也许我会’至少不必下飞机,我就可以睡觉。我已经准备好了。
在飞机上,我注意到有很多年轻人。原来有两个美国大学的歌唱团应邀来上海演出。其中包括宗教圣诞节歌曲。有点有趣;但是不够有趣,无法让我醒着。当我漂流时,我最后的想法是,“我希望他们在用餐时能唤醒我….”
我像我们一样醒着’re arriving in Tokyo. I ask 的girl next to me if there was a meal. “Yes, she tried to wake you. It was like you were dead to 的world.” D’oh! 那好吧。一世 was dead to 的world. It’s 的best way to sleep.
他们让我下飞机,在东京机场等了两个小时。它’当时我还没来得及听到这么多日语,这很奇怪’完全没有计划。不过大多数情况下,我’我只是累又饿。我坐在椅子上睡着了,醒来后就登机了。
The flight 星ts off pleasantly enough. To my left is a silent Asian man. To my right is a large Marine, headed home from Okinawa with his family 对于圣诞. His family is behind us. He seems nice enough.
它为N’但是,很久之后,跨太平洋的环境才开始。我成功地睡了一会儿。我在机上吃了一顿像样的饭,睡了一点。不过不久,我的海军陆战队朋友’4-5岁的小儿子“E.J.”变得拥有。他很吵。然后,他开始做这个事情,他躺在椅子上,用脚从后面砸我的椅子。不完全利于安宁。我可以’真的要抱怨,因为他的父母告诉他要停下来。事实是,他一直等待片刻,然后再次启动。
在我面前有一个母亲和两个漂亮的小男孩。他们都喜欢坐下。我想’是他们的权利。我那双狭窄的长腿被迫跨在我前面的座位上,我的膝盖帽被卡在座位的扶手后面。然后,他们提出了一个有趣的游戏,可以反复地使手臂在没有明显原因的情况下上下休息。他们是否只是为了痛苦地重击我的膝盖帽?谢谢。
我的痛苦被一种新的折磨打断了 圣诞老人是谁? — a “heart-warming” story of an amnesia-inflicted Santa who meets a selfish news reporter who needed a holiday change of heart. I watch 的whole thing. 我要死。
Wait —现在是E.J.再次责备我,我面前的朋友们以新的活力粉碎我的膝盖。 Now 我要死。
There are only two good points to 的flight. First, there seem to be an unusually large number of attractive women onboard. Not 座位ed next to me, of course, but they are on 的premises to give me something else to focus my attention on and help me pull through it. Thanks, ladies. Second, 的airline serves ice cream after 圣诞老人是谁? ends. 冰淇淋! 行。
事实证明,沉默的亚洲人是中国人,可以’弄清楚他的移民表格。我帮他我可以用中文帮助他,他似乎感到很惊讶。他的英语不’似乎太热了。我发现自己想知道他是否总是因为可口可乐而要可乐,或者因为’s all he can say.
Scooby Doo 的Movie comes on. Vowing not to make 的same mistake again, I refuse to put my earphones on. Still, my eyes stay glued to 的screen, however, and I’m soon angry over 的stupidity of 的film. I manage to sleep a little more.
Hope comes in 的form of 的second in-flight meal. Not only does it satisfy my hunger, but with it comes peace to 的whole plane, 对于a short time.
For 的remaining stretch E.J. tests my patience. But I hold out. 我不’t crack. We land.
Things 星t getting better after that, because I am actually in 的U.S.A. I have just eaten, but I decide to spend some of my 3-hour layover in Detroit eating。我得到炸玉米饼配薯条,辣调味汁和鳄梨调味酱蘸酱。您可以 not get that stuff in 中国! As I’我在吃东西时发现有人在吃辣椒芝士薯条,我 almost regret my choice of food. The discomforts of 的past 13 hours quickly fade into 的background as my stomach takes 的spotlight. Plus there are more hot women in 的Detroit airport. Hot 美国人 女人。行。
不久我 ’在我的最后一趟航班上,开往坦帕。仅仅是我的想象,还是每次飞行的腿部空间都在缩小?我的腿真的很不舒服,但至少这次飞行比较短。飞机从地面升起时,我凝视着整个景观。没雪看起来像棕褐色的世界,全是棕色,棕褐色,灰色,单调….
Despite 的short travel time, my level of discomfort seems to rise proportionately. It is all 我可以 do to keep from flipping out. 我可以’t sleep. I try to pass 的time with 的new issue of 经济学家. Biotechnology in 中国. Hmmmm… (Ouch, my knees!)
在里面 end, after 24 hours of travel, I make it. As I arrive at 的baggage claim, 的familiar face of Paco 向我打招呼。